ENCOUNTER GOD
Want to have an encounter with Yeshua today?
Yeshua helps us to encounter God, His glory, through praise. Theses praise enable you to experience His presence where you are. They are used for Home Churches, Bible Studies or cell groups.
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HOW TO ENCOUNTER GOD
I was asked, “How do I encounter God?” Take a deep breath, He is there with you. Acknowledge the sacrifice Heavenly Father made for us by giving His Son Yeshua and Holy Spirit as the Gift with a wholehearted THANK YOU! Be aware of His presence as He is closer than the air you breathe. Start to praise Him for who He is and what He has done, as the Lord inhabits the praise of His people (Psa. 22:3). You will encounter Him.
The below extract is taken from a book called “Hear God’s Voice”.
PRAISING GOD AS HEAVENLY FATHER PRODUCES RESULTS
Throughout scripture there are many cases where victory came after they praised God. Don’t we do the same to someone in the world who gives us a gift? Before we even know what the gift is or even before we have used it; we are grateful and thank them for it. And when someone really praises us for the things we do for them don’t we want to do even more for them?
“Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; Sing praises on the harp to our God …He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly” (Ps. 147:7, 15). Based on the praise they are giving Him, His word runs very swiftly for them.
“Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, “Let the LORD be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness And of Your praise all the day long” (Ps. 35:27-28). “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4; John 15:7). “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God” (Ps. 50:23).
HOW TO PRAISE
“My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; the humble shall hear of it and be glad” (Ps. 34:2). As a result we will tell others about the victories God has given me and brag about Him (Ps. 107:15; 26:6-7). “Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men. He turned the sea into dry land; they went through the river on foot” (Ps. 66:5-6). It is easy to praise God in front of Christians but we need to praise God in front of the heathen too, “I will give thanks to You, O YHWH, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your name” (Ps. 18:49).
Our praise must be spontaneous and we mustn’t be embarrassed because of who is around us nor feel embarrassed. We must praise like a child who says what they feel regardless of who is around them. As a result Jesus said, “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants you have perfected praise” (Matt. 21:16). “I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people” (Ps. 35:18).
I will live in a grateful attitude, like the Psalmist who consciously made time to praise God seven times a day (Ps. 119:164). Therefore the level at which I offer praise to God should be higher than anything I offer to people, sports teams or institutions. Thereby we not only respond with our mouth like praise and prayer but also our actions by living righteous and expanding His Kingdom by imitating Him (1 Cor. 11:1).
GRATEFULNESS PRODUCES PRAISE
God enjoys a grateful and happy environment not an environment of bitterness and ungratefulness. Hence, Scripture is full of this and the reason why many never experience His presence. Therefore, no one wants to hang around someone who is continually bitter and ungrateful. I didn’t even like myself when I was like that.
It is quite simple: By consciously making a point to speak to yourself and others in psalms of David, and hymns of praise, and spiritual songs of tongues, while continually singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving Him thanks always for all things and caring for other Christians in the fear of God (Eph. 5:18-21). In addition, make a point to look for the good and thank God for that good. Therefore look at the beauty that no one else sees.
Yes there will be many negative events and situations that exist throughout the day, so instead of dwelling on the negative, point out the positive. So sacrifice thanksgiving unto God (Ps. 116:17).
The word sacrifice means, “It is a voluntary action against the natural norm.” “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; …Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Hab. 3:17, 18). God never said, “When everything goes well praise Me.”
He says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18). IN every situation give thanks, not thank God for the situation, but IN the situation.
ANY LIMITATIONS TO PRAISE?
Well, should I give thanks for sickness? No, but give thanks for who HE is in the midst of sickness, He is the Healer (Ex. 15:26). Give thanks in the midst of poverty for He is the Provider (Gen. 22:14). Give thanks in the midst of persecution because He is glorified (Acts 5:41).
We have all heard of James 1:2-3 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience”. This was in reference to being persecuted for Christ, and this tests our faith. What carries us through is taking on Joy. Joy in what? Joy in Him.
If we were beaten, locked up in a jail cell, and fastened to a stock, would we praise God (Acts 16:16-24)? This is exactly what Paul and Silas did (Acts 16:25). “Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed” (Acts 16:26).
Jonah was only released from the fish’s belly after he repented and praised God (Jonah 2:9). If I was in a belly of a big fish, would I have sacrificed praise to God or panic before Him? I would only hope I could trust in the Holy Spirit to enable me to praise. Therefore “by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15).
IN CONCLUSION
Therefore “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7).
To encounter Him, one needs to know what God did for us through Yeshua therefore watch Ordinary Christians documentary.
Encountering God’s manifested presence, His glory, through praise (form of worship). Some of them are short ideal for Home Churches, Bible Studies or cell groups.
These praise songs are really touching, I especially love the Messianic ones.
Worshipping along with these songs reminds me how beautifully unique and different our musical gifting are and that we are able to pour out our heart and worship our Creator and Saviour in ways that reflect His uniqueness.
i love praising the lord its amazing
so powerful
Best worship song playlist! My favourites are “The River” and “Just be Held”. Thank you Lord for all your amazing artists! 🙂
Worshiping God is obedience unto Him. Most people believe it is just singing but the word worship is way more than that – it is a life style of obedience. Praising Him is what many contemporary Christians call worship.
BBC did an article on Christian worship: Christian worship involves praising God in music and speech, readings from scripture, prayers of various sorts, a sermon, and various holy ceremonies (often called sacraments) such as the Eucharist. While worship is often thought of only as services in which Christians come together in a group, individual Christians can worship God on their own, and in any place. The Origins – Christian worship grew out of Jewish worship. Jesus Christ was a religious Jew who attended the synagogue and celebrated Jewish festivals, and his disciples were familiar with Jewish ritual and tradition.
The first obvious divergence from Judaism was making Sunday the holy day instead of Saturday driven by the Catholic Church in the 4th Century AD. Jesus’s promise to stay with his followers, fulfilled in the sending of the Holy Spirit, illuminated the development of Christian worship from early times. So Christians regard worship as something that they don’t only do for God, but that God, through Jesus’s example and the presence of the Holy Spirit is also at work in.
Church services (which is more than a building) has various agenda’s. Types of service will include hymns, readings and prayers and sometime partaking of the Lord’s Supper. The preacher will speak at length to expound a biblical text and bring out its relevance to those present. Different churches, even within the same denomination, will use very different styles of worship. Some will be elaborate, with a choir singing difficult music, others will hand the music over to the congregation, who sing simpler hymns or worship songs.
Holy of Holies is a great video showing surrendering to the Father and being absorbed by His Love which heals us. What better place than being in the arms of our Father!
I love all these worship songs